Interview with Daymond John Aka “The Shark”

I am really excited to share this private interview I did with Daymond John, aka "The Shark". God this man is smart!! In case you are wondering……..Daymond is the creator of the hugely successful multi-billion dollar men's line FUBU and the star of Shark Tank – the ABC TV show!! You know…. the one that inventors come on and try to get investors! I really was impressed at his transparency and how he speaks so candidly about his failures and successes. He generously shares his wisdom and insights into how a company is born, how branding works and the importance of a brand. He also shares some inside scoop about investments he has made (and some that failed) and what it takes to find an investor. His mother was a huge inspiration to him and gave him a mantra he still lives by today. "It takes the same energy to think small as it does to think big"

Check out his new book coming out on April 1, THE BRAND WITHIN: HOW WE BRAND OURSELVES FROM BIRTH TO THE BOARDROOM! This book is a roadmap to growing a successful brand. You can find it on his website at www.daymondjohn.com. Follow him on twitter: @thesharkdaymond

I listened to the interview and I must say that it really helped me refocus and not worry. I’m going through that “should I keep workin’ the 9-5 thing or concentrate on my project more” faze. I heard Damon talk about his struggles before everything came together and I could totally relate. And even though I read his book and other entrepreneur’s books in the past, I still needed to hear that earlier. I put in a lot of work and feel like, “I’M READY TO GET TO SEE THE FRUITS OF MY LABOR.” I’m glad that I’ve discovered your site and had a chance to hear the interview, because I’ve been reminded again that it’s all part of the process.

Hi Sarah,
I wanted to let you know that your interview with Daymond John was one of the best interviews I’ve heard in a very long time. I actualy sat at my desk, listened and didn’t toe tap for 45 minutes. You did a spectacular job asking the right pointed questions and Daymond’s transparency and honesty was quite astounding. He is a real person who hasn’t lost his compassion. In my experience, a lot of successful people who reach “that” pinnacle blab only about how wonderful they are but forget where they came from and what’s it’s like to be in the trenches. The wonderful thing about your country is the ability to be an entrepreneur and be respected for it. In Canada unfortunately, it’s quite a different story. We are not looked upon as a favourable group and if they can make it hard for us, they do.
Best Regards,
Joanna Wiseberg

Thank you Sarah for the great interview with Daymond John. I loved his insight and candid conversation with you about his own experiences. He offers a lot of really practical advice and I couldn’t agree more with him about branding and the importance of selling yourself and not just your product. I look forward to reading more about how to accomplish this in his upcoming book!
Sheena Edwards

Wow! What an excellent interview! Full of insight and inspiration! I will listen to it several times! Thank you for your thoughtful and unassuming interview style — your really asked Daymond about the things I wanted to know! And he was wonderful! I’m not sure what I expected when this interview came across my Twitter account but I am certainly thankful for it!!
Thank you thank you thank you!
Ellen Lumpkin Brown

I first heard of Daymond John because of the show Shark Tank. When I watched the show my first thought was he is very cocky and has a blank look on his face. haha. Little did I know listening to him through interviews like this one and on TV he is a completely different and down to earth person than my first impression. I like the fact that he can admit his failures and he learned from them. His stories are inspiring and motivational. And he likes to teach and help fellow entrepreneurs. Great interview! Love Daymond!!

# 5 May 2010 at 12:41 pm

Star Le said:

Thanks for this interview! My favorite thing was the fact that Daymond shared about starting his company up a few times. Great reminder to never stop pursuing your vision!

One of my favorite interviews ever!! I love how Daymond John with all his mega success is one of the most humble entrepreneurs around. His talk about having a sense of paranoia really resonated with me in a profound way. I feel that it’s a level of thinking that helps me keep things in check.